Of all the parashot in all the Torah scrolls in all the world, that one – Sh’mini – had to walk into my life this year – not once, but twice. Because our Reform observance does not include the extra days added by the Sages for communities outside the land of Israel, we spent an […]

by Rabbi Lucy H. F. Dinner This year, I have the pleasure of studying the Book of Exodus together with the lay-led Hebrew Bible study group at Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I serve as senior rabbi. This d’var Torah draws on comments and realizations from members of the study group, including Theresa, […]

I am a person of liberal convictions, and I spend most of my time with other liberals. Many of my friends share my liberal political views but recoil from my liberal religious beliefs. The reason that they give most frequently is that “religion is divisive and conservative.” My answer is always the same: “You are […]

I had a difficult childhood. I joined a synagogue when I was 30, and I attended services fairly regularly, but I hated God. For me, God was the Old Man in the Sky, distant and remote, and constantly demanding praise. How could I pray? How could I thank a God who had given me my […]

by Elizabeth Dunsker(originally posted in Ten Minutes of Torah) Very often, I find myself unexpectedly in conversations discussing God’s omnipotence and omniscience in relation to our free will. While there are many wonderful and very deep works written on the subject, for the sake of time and energy, I generally boil it down to two […]

by Rabbi Rex PerlmeterURJ Worship and Spirituality Specialist andDirector, URJ Congregational Consulting Group If you’re a baseball player or fan, and you hear someone speak of “The Show,” you know it can mean only one thing – the big leagues. In synagogue life, I suspect if someone used that phrase, we wouldn’t have to strain […]

Categories

Archives

About RJ.org

The Reform Judaism blog, RJ.org, is operated for the Reform Movement and its institutions by the Union for Reform Judaism. RJ.org is the place to get the News and Views of Reform Jews from around North America and the world. Read more.